Do’s and Don’ts of Preparing for a Destination Wedding Photography

Destination Wedding Photography has become a mainstream trend among Asian couples. Pre-wedding photography, as we call it, is a big thing in Asia and most couples are willing to go the extra mile by zig-zagging across continents just to have the their photos taken in the most beautiful setting. When they do, they will need to engage a professional destination wedding photographer.

Featuring the works of professional photographers at Keep Gallery, here are some key tips to consider when you are planning and preparing for your destination wedding photography.

DON’T be CHEAP!
If you are going to fork out the flight ticket, lodging, meals and out-of-pocket expenses of your photographer, why skimp on their professional fees? There is a reason renowned photographers charge a certain price for their work. If you expect your photographer to be a true professional, then you should also expect to pay ‘professional’ rates. An experienced, well travelled professional photographer will be well equipped for logistical challenges of a destination wedding shoot. So, hire someone you know you can truly trust to deliver the best, and not because he/she is cheap.

DON’T be the DIRECTOR of Your Shoot
No one likes to work with someone who thinks he/she “knows better”. While you may be familiar with the locale of your destination, allow your photographer the flexibility to be creative with their shots. Decide on the locations but don’t direct them what to do, what should be done or worse, HOW it should be done.

DON’T Fall into the Trappings of ALL INCLUSIVE PACKAGES
You’ve heard of the saying. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Just because it comes as a ‘packaged deal’, does not mean it is the best deal. Take control of your decisions. If there is something that you do not like in the package, ask if you can remove it or change it with something else. Don’t be coerced into signing up for an offer, only to regret it later on. More importantly, read the fine lines.

DON’T RUSH through a Trip
Yes, time is money. The longer your photographers spend abroad, the more money you’ll need to fork out BUT, it is very important that your photographers arrive at your destination a day or two prior to the shooting date so that he/she will have plenty of time to scout around and familiarize themselves with the area. During the shoot, time is an important factor so plan out your itinerary so that you’ll be able to cover the areas you want to shoot and make allowance for unexpected incidents. Natural lighting, lighting direction, sunrise or sunset are some of the important factors that photographers consider when planning their shots especially areas where you’ll need to travel a distance from point to point. So, have a thorough discussion with your photographer during the planning stages.

DO Your RESEARCH Thoroughly
The details are in the planning. Research on your destination. Find out the seasonality of your location as well as special holidays which may coincide with your travel period. For example, if your scheduled trip happened to fall during the holiday season for the particular destination, you might be fighting for shots with so many other tourists and paying double the price for your accommodation during the peak season. You must, and absolutely must plan for all the added extras that may incur including car rentals, additional baggage allowance, travel insurance, make up artist, permits or entry fees into certain locations.

DO have CHEMISTRY with Your Wedding Photographer
Hire a photographer whom you’ll be comfortable with as you are going to be entrusting him the responsibility of capturing your candid beauty in a foreign land. You need to ensure he is someone whom you’ll get along with, and trust us when we say that it WILL show in the images.

DO Share as Much INFORMATION Possible with Your Wedding Photographer
Is there a reason why you chose that specific location for your shoot? Is that where the groom proposed to the bride? Are you a person who is fixated at posed shots or do you prefer more natural shots? The more information you share, the better it would be for the photographer to plan and conceptualise the shots that best fit your sensibilities.

Keep Gallery now has up to four outlets to serve you better. To view more of their work, visit their studios located at SS2 Petaling Jaya, Bandar Sunway, Klang or Ipoh, Perak. You can also check out their portfolio at the upcoming KL-PJ Wedding Expo 2011, from 20 – 22 May 2011 at The Midvalley Exhibition Centre, KL.

Zombie Wedding by Jervy Santiago Photography

ombie action thriller for a wedding shoot. Anyone? What could be more romantic than starring in an action-packed thriller as you’re being hunted down by a pack of blood-sucking, flesh-ripping zombies?  Jervy Santiago turned the post nuptial trash-the-dress session of Igle and Aimee into a conceptual cinematic photo shoot inspired by Left 4 Dead.

Jervy said he “got bored with the usual trash-the-dress photo shoot by the seashore, by getting it all wet and stuff like that. .. so, why not mud and blood?”. We thought we ought to serve up this feature fresh when the blood is still hot! In this exclusive interview, we caught up with the man of the hour, Jervy Santiago for a ‘quickie’.

WALK US THROUGH THE THEME. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS CONCEPT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
I must honestly admit that I got the idea from another couple – but unfortunately, various reasons such as budget costs didn’t allow it to push thru. Conceptualisation usually starts with me asking the couple several questions on how they spend their time together, things like clubbing, watching movies – all the boring stuff.  Then one of them mentioned that they enjoy playing video games together – one of which is Left 4 Dead – light bulb! I presented this to our team and planning immediately followed.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR THIS PRODUCTION?
It took us only 2 weeks to finish the project. We did our pre-production meetings a week before the actual shoot. Choosing a location was the hardest part, we didn’t want to alarm the local town folks, so we had to secure a permit and shoot at a private place, an auto mechanical repair shop. The team came up with the story board, props and time frame which was crucial and since we were not working with real actors here, I was afraid the couple might lose their momentum if the shoot dragged on for another day.  Add to the fact that another day of shoot will escalate the cost and we, or should I say, the couple who’s shouldering the bill wouldn’t want that!

WE’RE CURIOUS. WHO ARE THE ZOMBIES? WE HOPE THEY ARE NOT THE IN-LAWS…
In-laws!!! … Hmmm, now that you have mentioned it, I might actually consider it for the next shoot.
Three of the zombies were actual employees of that auto mechanical repair shop, talk about multitasking!  One of them even moonlights as a movie extra, doing stunts. The zombie in the red shirt is the only professional stuntman. He does Parkour.

WE’RE REALLY SURPRISED THAT THE BRIDE IS GAMED UP FOR SUCH AN UNCONVENTIONAL SHOOT. WAS SHE AGREEABLE TO THIS RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING?
Yes. Both of them were very cooperative and psyched for the shoot. Ingle, the groom even prepared pegs for the shoot. And if Aimee the bride and mom, wasn’t lactating, we could have done more. Like jumping from one truck to another, sliding and rolling on the ground.. pretty insane.

*We also noted that the bride, Aimee looks stunningly gorgeous despite the dirt, mud and blood… not a single hair out of place!

ONE LAST QUESTION, WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT DURING THE SHOOT?
Our EP Mike Pelayo brought out a case of beer for the zombies to make them act more natural. That’s part of their talent fees also. Hahahaha! Just kidding. But… it worked! The more alcohol they took, the better the acting we got. Hahaha!  … Ingle dug the idea, and had a couple of beers too … it worked!!!

Jervy Santiago’s humble beginnings found their roots when he apprenticed Peter Tsao from Taiwan. Manila opened up and gave Jervy his opportunity to shine. Even after more than nine years in the business, Jervy maintains his ‘cinematised’ approach.

“All my shots are guided by instinct and emotion.”

He laughingly calls it his ‘click before think’ mode where he deftly leaves things to chance and anticipates the unexplainable poetry found in his candid shots. When asked how his shots seem to just come together into one perfect creation, his sentiments are warm and authentic.

“Shooting is one thing, aesthetics is another thing. Always remember that doing wedding photography is not about the photographer, it’s about the wedding, the couple, the clients. We still have to give what they want, and not force what we want onto them. We may pitch an idea here and there, and if they are up to it, we start off from there.  Clients’ personalities vary from one to the other, and as a photographer, I have to find a common ground to infuse their personalities with my art.  In the end, the final photo should be about their story.”

Jervy Santiago operates out of Manila, Phillipines but is available for shoot anywhere in the world. If you’d like to view more of Jervy’s work, click here to visit his website.

Shooting Location: Phillipines

Venue: Candaba, Pampanga
Wedding Photographer: Jervy Santiago
Associate Photographer: Jeff Cadis
Executive Producer: Mike Pelayo
Creative Director: Krista Nogueras
Prosthetics: Leo Velasco and Raphael David
Costume Design: Krista Nogueras, Tipay Caintic and Bernice Beltran
Graphic Artist: Bernice Beltran

Romancing Rome by Edwin Tan Photography

ome is famous for its history, arts and home to some of the most renowned fashion labels in the world but today’s feature on Rome stars William and Qurese. When we received this set of photos from Edwin Tan, we went jumping up and down with joy in our cozy little space.

Okay, maybe I exaggerated. We didn’t jump. But we were definitely excited!! The first hooray for the destination and its medieval architecture and the second hooray for these stunning pictures, beautifully captured by Edwin.

Apart from Rome, they also went to Sienna, a small medieval town located on the hilly terrain of Tuscany. For the shoot, the bride wore two sets of wedding gowns, one red evening gown and another set of casual attire. The destination speaks for itself and there was no need for them to go over-the-top with the bridal styling and set props.

From the photographer, Edwin Tan: William and Qurese are very well organised and such a fun couple to shoot! Italy is such a beautiful, scenic country. This is the first time I worked with a bride who brought her mother along! She did the make up herself and it was great! The whole shoot was very easy-going and laid back, not stressful or constraint with time. The autumn weather was also very kind to us. The natural light was just perfect. I enjoyed every moment spent on this trip with this couple.

Edwin will be scheduling another 3-day Italy Autumn Experience next year (2012) so do to check out his schedule if you are interested.

The Man Behind the Lens – Edmund Tham of E-Gallery {MYS}

In today’s age of technology, anyone armed with a DSLR can claim to be a wedding photographer. The prospects of marketing themselves is also much easier now, by snapping and sharing the photos through blogsites and social media for the whole world to view. However, many do not realise that photography is an acquired skill and basically, an art by itself. Malaysia has been blessed with many a talented group of people specialising in wedding photography. Photographers are a dime a dozen, but who truly makes the cut? It depends. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. One of the aims of WedInk Tattle is to weed through the clutter and showcase the best of the best within the industry so that you can be assured of the quality of deliverance.

Ranked by Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) as one of the Top Nine Wedding Photographers in 2008, Edmund Tham of The E-gallery has since come a long way. In this exclusive interview, Edmund tells of his romantic nature (hint: find out which song moved him to tears) and explains a concept that he pioneered in Malaysia (and Asia) – Trash The Dress!

1. WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEYWORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY SIGNATURE?
Stylish, candid, everlasting, stunning, creative

2. TO-DATE, WHAT IS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE AND JOURNEY THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER?
Too many defining moments that had happened in my life… One of them is when my father passed away when I was 18 years old. The moment when I proposed to my wife. When Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) ranked me as one of their Top Nine (9) Wedding Photographers in 2008. When my clients shed happy tears of joy when they see the stunning beauty of their wedding and marriage union captured by my camera lenses.

3. EDUCATE US A LIL’, WHAT EXACTLY IS TRASH THE DRESS PHOTOGRAPHY? THE THOUGHT OF DESTROYING A WHITE WEDDING DRESS SEEMS SO PROFANE.
This concept was first introduced in the United States in the early 1990s. Trash The Dress (TTD) is a sort of post-wedding ritual; an edgy extension to wedding photography where an immaculately dressed couple decide to trash their wedding clothes to signify their commitment to each other. Destroying your wedding dress means you don’t intend to get married again.

4. HOW DO YOU WORK ON THE CONCEPTUALISATION? ARE THE OBJECTS AND THEME THAT SURROUND THE SHOOT, SIGNIFICANT TO THE COUPLE?
Concept can be derived from anywhere! From things that happen in our everyday lives, the movie that you watched, a book that you have just read… Possibilities are endless and really, it could be just about from anything. It depends on how you digest your surroundings and interpret it to create your own concept.

Discussion with the couple is a must to understand their respective backgrounds. Only then I’m able to propose a concept that is well-suited or linked to their unique backgrounds.

5. IF A COUPLE IS INTERESTED ON A TRASH THE DRESS CONCEPT SHOOT, HOW SHALL THEY GO ABOUT?
I’ll explain the concept to them so that the couple fully understands the real meaning of TTD. While I’ll talk about the concept, we’ll also chat about things that are related their lives, work, hobbies, etc. From there, I’ll develop the concept for them. For example, I had a client who was a chef in a hotel. I proposed for them to have a TTD shoot in kitchen and of course, food-related!

6. AS THE PIONEER OF TRASH THE DRESS IN MALAYSIA (AND ASIA), DO YOU SEE THE TREND PICKING UP AMONG ASIANS?
The trend is catching up albeit in a slow manner as Asians are generally quite conservative. But I believe that the TTD concept will be the next big thing among young couples.

7. QUOTES YOU LIVE BY
Work hard and you shall reap the rewards.

There’s a popular Chinese quote, literally translated as “you can never finish earning all the money”. But I always like to say, “Yes, but it is also very easy to spend all your money!”

8. WHAT IS CURRENTLY PLAYING IN YOUR MIXPOD?
愛，很簡單 (Ai Hen Jian Dan) by David Tao.

It means ‘love can be simple’. Every time I listen to this, I’ll get a very special feeling…and I sometimes will even cry while listening to the song.

9. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE IN MALAYSIAN WEDDINGS?
Malaysian weddings in general are steeped or bound by traditions and customs or even religious rites. Therefore, they couldn’t run too far from the established norm. Having said that, I do wish to see weddings that are of different cultures, and also weddings with different concepts for the ceremonies celebrating the blissful union.

10. APART FROM COVERING WEDDINGS, WHAT OTHER AREAS OF SUBJECT INTEREST YOU?
Besides wedding photography, I like interior shoot. I worked with a lot of Interior Designers in town to capture all their masterpieces. I am a very home-concept type person. I like the “home-y” feeling. I believe a comfortable home will improve your luck and chances in life.

11. AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, YOU WOULD HAVE SHOT MANY WEDDING LOCATIONS/VENUES. CAN YOU RECOMMEND YOUR PERSONAL FAVOURITE CHOICE OF VENUE TO OUR READERS?
Tokyo, Japan!! We should learn from the Japanese people. Everything is just too good! Their attitude, food, art, style and culture are just fantastic.

12. WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE E-GALLERY?
To be engaged by more couples so I can be a part of their special day and capture those memories to last forever. Have more job assignments and hopefully be in a better financial situation. On the professional front, it is my hope that I can one day set up a branch to gain more international exposure and recognition as one of the top wedding photographers!

13. THROUGH THE LENS, A DREAM WEDDING IS …
…a wedding that surprises me and is beyond my imagination.

Edmund Tham frequently travels abroad for wedding assignments. Drop him a line at his work mail if you’d like to schedule an appointment at his uber cool studio located at Damansara Perdana.

…of Bubbly Balloons, Butterfly Kisses and Bird that Sets Our Hearts Aflutter

is for Balloons … Bird … Butterfly … and a whole lot of Bubbly Fun! Meet Kenny and PC. Not only are they the most style-savvy couple we’ve had to-date on our blog but their love,  faith and  steadfastness serve as an inspiration to all.

Kenny proposed on his birthday on April 5, 2010 where he asked PC to give him his best birthday present ever – to be his wife. They decided to register their marriage on PC’s 30^th birthday in Singapore where they both currently reside, witnessed by visiting family and friends by their side. Kenny figured that a pre-wedding shoot done in Singapore would seem like destination photography, as the album will be displayed at their wedding reception in Kuala Lumpur. Their choice of shooting locations consisted of places that are special to them, namely the hotel where Kenny proposed and their uncle’s residence where they spend much of their leisure time together. Here’s their story.

PC: It was not love at first sight for sure! We met on Halloween’s Day, at a friend’s birthday cum Halloween celebration. There was a green and blue dresscode to match the theme and Kenny annoyed me because he disagreed on the colour of my blouse. To me, I was thinking I barely know this person and here he is, strongly disagreeing and voicing his comments to everyone! Until today, we still have conflicting opinions on the colour of my blouse that night. I still insist it is lime green. He, firm on it being yellow.

Kenny: Little did she know I had seen a picture of her before that fateful night through a friend’s picture album and was keen to get to know her. The rest they say is history… and the blouse is indeed yellow!

PC: It has not been an easy journey but rather, one that has been filled with complications where our relationship prevailed. To us, our time has come, the timing is right and the pieces do fit now, after overcoming challenges faced through the years. Opposites, we both are. The calm and the storm. He is the bridge that links me back to sanity, everytime I cross over to the ‘dark side’ while he likes to say I drive and inspire him to achieve greater heights. We have a symbol for each other, him the bird and I, the butterfly. Henceforth, our hearts shall flutter together as one.

The picture above was taken at the Singapore Museum. It was submitted by Douglas to Creative Asia and it won a bronze award under the category ‘Bride and Groom Together’.

Check out their stylish and fabulous wedding ceremony and reception at Bankers Club, Kuala Lumpur.

Shooting Location: Singapore

Wedding Photographer: Douglas Fun, Avenue 8 Photographers
Wedding Hair & Make Up: Sandy, Fabulosity Makeup